Improvement in fences



J. HQBAILEY.

Pence.

No. 211,491. Patented Jan. 21,1879.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

N1 PEIERs PM UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE JOSIAH H. BAILEY, OFWILMINGTON, OHIO.

IIM PRQVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,491 dated January21, 1879; application filed October 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, JOSIAH H. BAILEY, of Wilmington, in the county ofClinton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Fence, ofwhich the following is a specification The object of this invention isto produce a cheap, strong, and durable fence that can be easily andquickly erected or removed from the place where it is set up.

It consists in making the fence partly of wood and partly of iron,avoiding the use of wooden posts.

It is put together by laying an iron baseplate, from which is erected aniron post or bar. The adjacent ends of the planks in adjoining panelsare placed on opposite sides of this post, between iron bars, andsecured by transverse bolts passed through the bars and planks, so as tobind the whole firmly together. A nut is also screwed on the top of thepost, down on a washer bearing upon the top plank of the panel, andlateral braces are provided to strengthen it against pressure from thesides.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedfence. Fig. 2 is a top View of the same, partly in section; and Fig. 3is a vertical section through line 00 a, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, AA, 850., are the wooden planks forming thepanel of the fence. B B are the basaplates, made of iron, placed underthe ends of the panel and resting on the ground. From the lower edge ofthese baseplates an iron rod, a, forming a post, is projected upward,its lower end being bent under the base-plate and entered into a notch,b, therein, so as to hold it against lateral displacement. The posts aare of zigzag shape, the angles occurring where the planks A cross thesaid posts, and at the middle line of the planks, as clearly indicatedin the drawing. The tops of post a are screw-threaded for the receptionof a burr, c.

0 G are metal plates, placed on either side of the intersecting ends ofthe panels, and inclosing between them the adjacent ends of the planksA. The lower ends of these plates rest upon the base-plates B B, anotch, d, in this end receiving the edge of the plates, thus preventingthem from being slipped sidewise from their places.

Bolts 0 e, &c., arepassed transversely through the plates 0 U andthrough the ends of the planks A, and are securely fastened by burrs f,bearing upon one of the said plates, so that the adjacent ends of theplanks forming adjoining panels are firmly bolted together and to theside plates, G 0.

Braces D D are applied to each side of intersecting'panels. The lowerends of these braces are hooked securely in the base-plates at a properdistance from the panels, so as to obtain adequate support, while theupper ends bear against the side plates, 0 O, at the junction of thethird plank from the bottom therewith, or higher, if necessary. On thisend of the braces is an eye, through which is passed the bolt 6, whichis passed through the ends of the planks at this point, so that the samebolt secures the two braces in place, as well as the planks and sideplates together. These braces furnish lateral strength and support tothe panels, so that they will not yield to the force of the wind or toany other pressure exerted upon them from the sides.

In the construction of the fence, the ends of the planks forming onepanel are placed on one side of the middle post a, while the ends of theplanks forming the adjoining panels are placed on the opposite sidethereof. In this way the planks are kept apart, and thus the rapid decaysuperinduced by the contact of the wooden planks furnishing a lodgmentfor dampness in wooden fences is avoided, and the planks are kept dry,thus prolonging their usefulness.

In bolting the planks A and the side plates together at the intersectionof the panels, alternate bolts are placed on opposite sides of themiddle post a in the angles formed by its zigzag shape, which is givento it in order to permit this arrangement. The object of this is to givean endwise brace to the planks that hold them rigidly in place when thefence is erected on the side of a hill or gully. With out thisarrangement the planks would turn on the bolts as on pivots, and whencarried up or down an incline would change their angle with theconnecting posts and plates, and thus not 'only spoil the symmetry ofthe fence, but weaken it by subjecting parts to unnecessary weight andstrain.

A washer or plate, g, is placed over the upper ends of posts a, andrests upon the top planks and the ends of the side plates, 0 G. The burrc is screwed down on this washer, thus rigidly connecting the planks andbaseplate together through the posts a. Thus, by means of the verticaland lateral bolting, the adjoining panels are made fast and rigidlybound together. i

Afence constructed in this manner possesses the important qualities ofcheapness, durability, and strength. Very little wood enters into itsconstruction. This of itself is an important matter in localities wherewood is scarce, and the part made of wood is so arranged that it issaved, as far as possible, from the rapid decay to which it is exposedin fences as usually constructed.

An important practical advantage arising from the construction of thisfence isthat when it is desired to go through any part of it the plankscan be quickly and easily removed by simply unscrewing the nuts andwithdrawing the bolts at each end without interfering in the slightestdegree with the adjoining panels, and they can be as quickly replaced.So, too, if it is desired to drive small stock through the fence at anypoint, it can be done by simply removing the lower plank from the panel,as above described.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- As an improvement in fences, the combination andarrangement of middle posts a, planks A, forming the panels, and sideplates, 0 O, with the base-plates, B, and braces D, the partsbeingsecured together laterally by bolts 6, and vertically by nuts 0, on theends of middle posts a, in the manner substantially as described.

JOSIAH H. BAILEY.

Witnesses:

N. M. LINTON, Enos P. BAILEY.

